Deuteronomy 30:9-14 (NRSV)
Read Deuteronomy 30:9-14 on biblegateway.com
Verse 9and the Lord your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all your undertakings, in the fruit of your body, in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your soil. For the Lord will again take delight in prospering you, just as he delighted in prospering your ancestors, Verse 10when you obey the Lord your God by observing his commandments and decrees that are written in this book of the law, because you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Verse 11Surely, this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away. Verse 12It is not in heaven, that you should say, "Who will go up to heaven for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?" Verse 13Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, "Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?" Verse 14No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.
Devotion
People of the Jewish faith often affix a mezuzah—a small case containing a phrase from the Torah—to the doorpost of their homes. Everyone in the family touches these when entering or exiting the home, keeping the memory and the importance of God’s word physically close to them. “The word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.”
When we baptize children in our congregations, we often put Martin Luther’s Small Catechism into the hands of the child’s parents and offer a prayer that the words contained there would help to guide their lives and the life of their child. We encourage them and the whole congregation gathered, to talk about the commandments with their children and most importantly pray that we would live lives shining with love for the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves!
Prayer
Gracious and merciful God of our ancestors and of generations to come, help us to remember to keep your commandments near us always. May we love you with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves in holy response to your love for us. Amen
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